Watercolor – Exploring Colors and Shapes In-Store Class Apr 16

Watercolor – Exploring Colors and Shapes In-Store Class
Sunday, April 16, 1-4pm
Instructor: Lexis Krieg
Limit: 6 students

Class Details:

This class on colors and shapes is part of the Joy of Watercolor Doodling series by Denver artist and graphic designer Lexis Krieg. Lexis is known for her vibrant colors and playful penwork, and for making watercolors fun! This class takes a deeper dive into the magical world of watercolors by focusing on how colors work together. 

Lexis provides an overview of color theory by stepping you through creating your own color wheel. Her biggest tip for working with watercolors is to limit your palette; she feels using just a few colors makes for a stronger composition. The exploratory exercises she provides are designed to help you understand warm versus cool colors as well as analogous and complementary colors.The exercise is useful for developing a personal set of “go to” colors.

During class you’ll paint free hand, layering colors back and forth on two separate pieces to allow things to dry. While you’re working, Lexis demonstrates how to use basic shapes, brush marks, and more advanced pen doodling to elevate your composition. It’s amazing how such simple marks can create a complex design. 

As with Lexis’s other classes, what we really like about the way she teaches is that she offers a process with skills and tools that can be used to develop a personal style. She, and we, would love to see what you create!

There is some optional pre-class work for the class, which should take no more than thirty minutes.

Class Materials

Please bring the following materials:

• Set of watercolors. Results are better with at least student grade pan or tube paints. Some basic sets that work are Ooly Lil Pods ($), Prang Oval Watercolor Set ($), Raphael Watercolor Pan Travel Set ($$), Cotman Water Colour Sketcher's Pocket Box ($$), Koi Watercolor Pocket Field Sketch Travel Kit ($$), and Prima Watercolor Confections sets ($$).
• Assorted colored pens or pencils, other than black or white, to add additional marks on top of the watercolor. Suggestions: Gelly Roll Moonlight, Posca Paint pens, or colored pencils. The pencils can be standard or watercolor pencils.
• Optional: small spray bottle of water for wetting your watercolors
• Optional: your own favorite watercolor brushes in various shapes and sizes. Note that the class includes a 6 round brush and a ½” flat brush for you to keep.

Class Materials Include:

• Hot press watercolor paper
• 2 watercolor brushes, a Fudenouske Black Pen and white Gelly Roll pen for you to keep
• Masking tape, water, water containers, paper towels etc to use in class

Class Refund/Cancellation Policy

Cancellations made up to 14 days prior to the first class meeting will be refunded or, at the participant's option, used to pay for another class. Two Hands Paperie will retain a $10 processing fee for EACH class cancelled by a participant. After 14 days, there is no refund or credit. In addition, the fee for a class cancelled within this 14-day timeframe by a participant cannot be transferred to pay for another class. These policies are to ensure that teachers are compensated for their investment in materials and in time spent preparing for the class. We reserve the right to cancel a class if fewer than 3 students enroll 48 hours prior to the scheduled class time. If for any reason Two Hands Paperie cancels a class, students will be called at the phone number on file and refunded the FULL class fee.

Instructor Bio

Lexis Krieg is the artist, illustrator, and designer behind Lexisworks, a business she started in 2008 as an outlet for her personal creativity. She can’t remember a time when she wasn’t making something. She took every art class in high school, then left to study art at Minnesota State University Moorhead. While there Lexis fell in love with graphic design and, as she explains, decided to leave the “real art" to “artists.” She worked as a graphic designer for a while but, after being laid off twice, she ended up growing her freelance business to satisfy her creativity and her urge to create with her own hands.

Her background in graphic design shines through the art she creates now: custom murals, surface patterns, illustrations, hand lettering, and mixed media paintings. No surprise that her studio is stuffed with vintage papers, tubes of paint, containers full of brushes and pens, old sketchbooks, glue, and a collection of materials for her daughters to create with. She’s decided she is an artist after all, and enjoys teaching workshops as a way to help others discover their own creative talents.

When people ask Lexis where she’s from she takes a deep breath and recites: “Alaska, Oregon, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and now Colorado.” (Somewhere in there she managed to live in England for a while.) Colorful Colorado became her home almost 15 years ago, and she’s been inspired by the Rocky Mountains ever since. Lexis takes any opportunity she can to get out and explore the Colorado landscape with her husband Bear, their two daughters, and their dog, Jackson.

See more Lexis' work on her website and on instagram @lexisworks.